Mark Halperin crystal-balls the 2012 field, with a look at the change in candidate tactics and what it portends:

Huntsman and his advisers realize that after generating a lot of preannouncement buzz, they failed to deliver a juggernaut. But they understand an iron law of politics: the media abhor an unchallenged front-runner. There’s still ample hope for whoever is positioned as the Romney alternative, especially since Republicans remain wishy-washy on his candidacy. Hence the increased jockeying among the most likely substitutes. Bachmann, meanwhile, is treading carefully through the media freak show to soothe GOP fears about her electability.

But Halperin also correctly notes a hard fact - there are just six months left until voters start weighing in at the ballot box, and time for the back of the pack to move up is eroding.